Oh, the People You'll Meet

I had a really warped view of the typical German coming into this trip. I always thought these Europeans were cold and calculating; always on time, taking care of business, never stopping to smell the roses. After our first day in Berlin, I unfortunately thought this stereotype had been confirmed. Every local we passed on our bike tour seemed emotionless, in a hurry, unwilling to socialize. I now assume this attitude was just a result of the weather (which is understandable; I'm pretty sure I get grumpy when it's cold and rainy too). My opinion of this culture took a complete 180 on just our 2nd day in the country, and that's all thanks to a man known as BoogieLoop. That's the performer name of our friend Mauricio, a mime originally from South America. He has been street performing in plazas across Europe for ten years, and he recently received a contract from a Berlin theater company to star in a show on the biggest stage in the world. He's a prime example of a busker who made it big. We interviewed Mauricio on Tuesday near his theater, and I must admit I was nervous going into the encounter. Being a mime, I wasn't sure whether he was actually going to talk to us, or just give us animated gestures as answers (That wouldn't exactly have gotten us anywhere). I'm glad he was willing to talk to us; and as a matter of fact, we had a very enjoyable interview with him. He spoke excellent English, discussing with us his path to success as a street performer, including the struggle to create the perfect act and the business behind the entertainment. He was incredibly helpful, also showing us a few of his favorite spots to perform in Berlin so that we might capture some footage of other performers at work. When it was time for him to leave, he gave us tickets to his show for the next night, wishing us best of luck on the rest of our project. We went to the show the next night, and it was a blast. It was like Cirque Du Soleil on steroids; acrobatic stunts, sparkling costumes, and some of the weirdest dance routines you'll ever see. Mauricio, or BoogieLoop, made our first taste of Germany a very sweet experience. And here's the funny thing; at this point in our trip, I honestly think Mauricio was the least sociable person we have had the pleasure of talking to. That's nothing against him, he was great, but the other contact we made have been even more fun to talk to. On Thursday we had a simple interview set up at a riverside cafe with another busker, known as DJuggledy. Our conversation was going well when suddenly a few of his friends walked into the restaurant. Then it got even better, as these friends were also street performers. Suddenly, we had three successful, fun-loving, open-minded artists to talk to. Not only that, but we were able to capture their interactions with each other. It was incredible to see the relationships these guys have developed, having met in Berlin with only an interest in performance connecting them. DJuggledy is in a relationship with the woman who arrived, known on the streets as Firefingers. The other man was a good friend known as Andy Snatch. The three of them informed us of an international festival that was going on in town this weekend; they would each be performing at this festival the next day. We spent our entire Friday at this festival, and it was an incredible time. The streets of Berlin were filled with foods and crafts from across the globe (the only thing from back home I saw there was "American Ice Cream"). We got a chance to watch Andy Snatch and DJuggledy perform that night. It was quite an experience to witness the work of performers whom we had a bit of a connection with; we cheered extra hard for their successful tricks, and felt their pain when they slipped up. I thought the crowd at the festival was a bit harsh when Andy took the stage, seeming uninterested in most of his act, but cheering for his grand finale. When DJuggledy took the stage an hour later, his audience was much livelier, buying into his crowd interactions (which we could not understand, as he spoke in German the entire time) and cheering nearly his every move, after a few early mistakes. We made it back to our hotel that night exhausted but feeling ecstatic; DJuggledy and friends had given us a great look into the social life of the busker. Now in Munich, we met today with radio anchor Bjorn Dake, who actually visited USC back in March as part of a "Mid-Career exchange program," as he called it. He too was very helpful, giving us an interview explaining the politics behind street performance; how to obtain permits, laws telling buskers what they can and can't do, and even how the government and locals feel about these artists. It doesn't seem like an interesting topic (and honestly it's not), but it was before and after the interview I really enjoyed. Bjorn took us down to a scenic river spot he and his friends frequent for the interview, then took us to his favorite coffee shop after. All the while, he gave us his personal tour of Munich, telling us the best places to visit and what to do. I learned more about local culture just through this conversation than I think I ever could have through research or education. He told us about a music festival going on tonight at Olympic Park; he will be there, and wants to meet up with us and take us around town afterwards. I can't wait to see where our adventures with Bjorn take us for the rest of our time here in Munich. The moral of my babbling here is, don't make observations about a culture until you actually take the time to talk to the people of the area. You'll find they have so much more to offer than any book, website, or tour guide. They'll lead you on adventures you would never have through any brochure. And they'll provide you with contacts, even friendships, that you would never find otherwise. I'm so glad we've had the opportunity to meet these locals during our time here in Germany. They have completely transformed my opinion on German culture, and have truly made this trip one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.